


Keep Me Warm All Winter Long

by EmmyLynna



Series: Entwined [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Childhood Sweethearts, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Knotting, M/M, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-05 23:12:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16820356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmyLynna/pseuds/EmmyLynna
Summary: Winters always held such fond memories for Viktor.  Perhaps it was because he was a winter child, or perhaps he was just being his usual sappy self as his mate Yuuri would say.No matter the reason, it was always such a pleasant stroll to recall all the moments filled with his love, his family, and his friends.  He's lived such a blessed life after all.A collection of drabbles as a gift for BlueRoseCat for our discord server's Secret Santa gift exchange. Part of the Entwined Series universe.





	1. Mama & Papa - Part I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueRoseCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRoseCat/gifts).



> Ho ho ho, I am the Secret Santa for [BlueRoseCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRoseCat/pseuds/BlueRoseCat)  
> I'm so lucky she likes my Entwined Series cuz apparently my muse is unable to write any other universe right now XD
> 
> Hope you enjoy this BlueRoseCat!

**Mama & Papa - Part I **

Viktor being a romantic was very much influenced by his own parents’ love story. He was five-years-old when he spent his last birthday with his entire family and it began the same way all his days began--a comfortable warmth, tucked safely under his favorite blankets. He snuggled deeper into his pillow and smiled when he felt smooth fingers comb gently through his hair. A soft humming began to fill his bedroom with a very familiar melody. He recognized it as one of the lullabies from the old movies his Mama loved to watch. 

“Good morning, Vitya,” his Mama’s voice cooed gently above him. The weight beside his bed shifted over as she leaned down to place a butterfly kiss on his forehead. 

Viktor’s smile grew wider. He may be all grown up (Papa said so himself!) but he did so love being babied by his mother. “I’m up,” he whispered into his pillow but his eyes remained closed.

Yekaterina Nikiforov giggled and gave her son a hug. “I know you are. I saw that little hint of a smile lighting up your face, malchik moy.” Without warning, her fingers started an onslaught of tickles across his ribs. Viktor’s eyes opened as he desperately tried to squirm away. “Mama!” He began to laugh uproariously and very soon Yekaterina’s laughter joined his as well. It filled the silent morning and somehow made the sunlit bedroom look even brighter. 

His Mama always did have that effect--brightening every room with her mere presence. It was easily one of the many things that Viktor would miss when she’d leave his life so suddenly and it would not be until around a year later that he would meet his Yuuri and find that his mate can brighten up his life again. And when they would be a few years older he would give Yuuri his first of many endearments-- _solnyshko moyo._ My sun. Viktor’s light. 

But for now, five-year-old Viktor will bask in his mother’s love and enjoy all the blessings that came with being his Mama’s sweet baby alpha.

“And there’s my ray of sunshine!” Yekaterina slowed down her tickles and came to a stop to allow Viktor to catch his breath. She booped his nose with her finger. “And how old are you now, malchik moyo?”

Viktor proudly holds up his hand. “I’m five now, Mama!”

“Oh my goodness!” Yekaterina’s emerald eyes widened placing a hand to her heart in an exaggerated show of surprise. “My little Vitya is growing up!”

Viktor took his mother’s hand and held it between his two, his own so much smaller by comparison. “It’s okay, Mama,” he said seriously, the expression looking so comical on his own cherub-like face. “You can still call me ‘malchik.’”

Yekaterina laughed. It was so uncanny how similar Viktor looked like his father with an expression like that. 

“Come,” she said, tugging Viktor up. Her son must have sensed her eagerness as he sat up and wiped away the remaining vestiges of sleep from his eyes. “Your Papa should be arriving very soon,” Yekaterina sing-songed as she stepped over to his vanity to grab his hairbrush. She returned and sat beside him and began to brush his hair. The color was the exact shade of her own but cut short in the same style of her husband’s. It was very sweet how much Viktor looked up to his father.

Viktor’s eyes widened. “He is?!” He began to kick his feet up and down, practically vibrating with excitement. 

“Yes. And your Baba and Deda too. I think Ms. Anna as well. Ms. Natalya will be coming with your father of course.” Yekaterina was relieved. Not that Andrei would ever miss his only son’s birthday, no… but rather due to a snowstorm that swept across Moscow. Thankfully, he was actually in Paris for a last-minute meeting. Her own parents, though, got held up. They were supposed to arrive two days earlier but went through several cancelled flights before they were finally able to get out. She had just received a phone call late last night from her mother during their layover in London.

She set aside the hairbrush and Viktor took that as his cue to hop off the bed. He already saw the clothes she selected for him laid out at the foot of the bed and began to exchange them for his pajamas without prompting. Now, if only he was just as eager to do that with his school uniform when she’d try to get him ready for school. She tucked an errant strand of hair back into place and allowed her son to lead them downstairs.

Breakfast consisted of savory omelettes coupled with an assortment of fresh fruit. His Mama must have already eaten before she went upstairs to wake him since she sat back and drank her favorite mochaccino from her mug. She always had it every morning and he remembered that one time she allowed him to taste it.

His thoughts were interrupted by chimes from the doorbell. Viktor and Yekaterina sat up, identical heart-shaped smiles appearing on their faces. “Is that…?” He gasped.

Yekaterina nodded. “That must be your Papa.”

“Yay!” Viktor quickly shoved himself away from the table and for once Yekaterina could not find it in herself to chide him for making the chair scrape across the polished wooden floor. “Papa!” He called out happily as he bounded out of the dining hall towards the foyer. The young woman chased after her son, letting his infectious excitement bring forth her own giddiness at the thought of seeing her husband again. 

She turned the corner to find Nadia stepping aside to allow Viktor to open the door himself. The young boy fumbled with the locks hastily and cheered once he heard the telltale unlatching. “Papa!” He called out again and opened the door.

Yekaterina took in the sight of her husband’s silhouette bathed softly by the morning light. His blond hair appeared ethereal when it was framed by the sun’s rays. She took the time to appreciate the way his trench coat accentuated his cut frame. Her eyes followed the long lines of his lean legs hidden by his slacks, up to his torso and broad shoulders, and finally his eyes that pierced her own with a weighted gaze.

“Are you having a grownup moment?” Viktor asked sullenly when he realized that his father stopped replying to his recollection of the past week’s events. He pouted when he turned around to find his mother just standing there staring at his father. This phenomenon happened every now and then when his two parents would grow quiet and just stare at each other. 

He pouted. “Mama…” he whined. “Don’t do that grownup thing again. It’s my birthday!”

That seemed to pull Yekaterina out of her trance and she blushed when she realized that her son basically just called her out for ogling at her husband. Andrei chuckled and murmured something to Viktor, ruffling his son’s hair and pulling a peal of laughter from his lips.

“That’s just because I missed your Mama so much, Vitya,” Andrei said as he hugged his son, supporting him easily with one arm as he held the other open in invitation to his wife. 

Yekaterina didn’t hesitate to close the remaining distance between them and held her husband tightly. She buried her head in the crook of Andrei’s neck, enjoying his familiar woody scent fill her nostrils, mixed with Viktor’s own scent. It was home.

“I missed you,” she whispered into Andrei’s ear. His hand gave a momentary squeeze around her hip.

“And I missed both of you,” Andrei turned his head to plant a kiss on both of their foreheads. “Happy Birthday, Vitya.”

* * *

Viktor always thought that it was funny how his Mama and Papa would pretend that they weren’t staring at each other. They always got weird like this whenever Papa came back from one of his business trips.

He didn’t understand why Deda would call his Papa a “heartless bastard” (Mama never really did like it when Deda would use ‘bad words’ like that) when he can clearly see the heart in his Papa’s eyes whenever he’d look at his Mama. 

His Papa once described it as a bond between two soulmates. “Your Mama is very special to me. Both of you are. Your Mama gave me the world, Vitya. She gave me you.”

“Do I have a soulmate too, Papa?”

“Everyone has a soulmate, Vitya. It’s just a matter of time before you find yours.”

Neither of them would have ever guessed that it would occur a year later. 

At that time Viktor did not fully understand what a soulmate meant. He had asked his Mama too, who said that soulmates are when two people belong together. Like the happily ever after in the fairytale books his Baba once gifted for him. It was when two people make each other happy and whole by being together. When being with the other brings out the best in you.

“Are you still soulmates even when Deda says he hates your mate?”

His unabashed question made Yekaterina laugh. It was no secret that Yakov hated Andrei. Ever since he came into their lives, Yakov already deemed Andrei to be unworthy of her. It did not matter in the first few months since Yekaterina had detested Andrei almost as much as her father when they first met each other. But the alpha had remained persistent and had, eventually and through some miracle, won her heart.

Yakov was convinced that Andrei must have blackmailed her or coerced her into a relationship and refused to believe otherwise, even when he was walking her down the aisle on her wedding day. 

Needless to say it made for a bit of an awkward atmosphere. In the end, Yekaterina and Lilia had to pry off Yakov’s fingers (with a lot of whispered reassurances from Yekaterina and plenty of hissed threats from Lilia) to let the young bride join her groom at the altar and continue the ceremony. And Lilia also had to hold back her husband when the priest asked if anyone had any objections to their union. He could care less that Andrei was glaring at him from their position at the altar.

Honestly, all things considered, it was a miracle that Andrei and Yekaterina were able to have their first son. Yekaterina would joke that between Andrei's business trips, her figure skating competitions, and Yakov and Lilia's frequent visits that it was a wonder that she and Andrei had any private time together.

Andrei was ecstatic upon finding out that he was going to become a father. He and Yekaterina had talked about having a large family. It was part of the reason why he hired an architect to design them a large mansion. They were supposed to have an entire wing just composed of their children's rooms--five, because they wanted one for each child--and a nursery at the very end of the hall. 

Yekaterina was wise to keep it a secret and simply told her father that they were extra guest rooms in case Andrei had to host multiple family members or employees for a business meeting. If he found it curious how the color schemes and animal prints on the wallpaper were more meant for a child's motif, well.... Yakov made no mention of it.

* * *

  
Andrei groomed Viktor to be an alpha very quickly. The man was practically beaming with pride the moment the obstetrician announced that Viktor was an alpha on the day of his birth. "As expected," he said, as he had wiped away the sweat from Yekaterina's brow with a fresh facial towel. "The Nikiforov has a long line of alphas after all."

"He is perfect," Yekaterina gushed as she gently bumped a newborn Viktor's button nose with the tip of her finger. Tiny silver lashes framed his closed eyes matched perfectly with a crown of silver hair.

"Of course he is perfect. Any product from our union is perfection, Katya."

"Oh Dyusha, please do tone it down when Papa comes in."

It was an unnecessary precaution because by the time Lilia and Yakov were welcomed into the birthing room, Yakov was too preoccupied holding his grandson close. 

"He's got your hair, Katya," Yakov said, his voice oddly choked with emotion. With both arms preoccupied holding a baby Viktor, he had no control in wiping away the tears that were gently rolling down his cheeks. One of them fell on Viktor's forehead, making the baby squirm before opening his eyes. "Damn it," he grumbled. "He's got Nikiforov's eyes."

"Yasha--" Lilia sighed for her husband ruining the moment.

"My baby’s eyes are perfect, Papa,” Yekaterina admonished her father. 

Andrei chose to ignore Yakov’s comment. His son inherited more than simply his eyes, but he will refrain from provoking Yakov further and upsetting Yekaterina. His mate deserved a proper rest after just delivering their first child after all.

* * *

  
Over the years, Viktor was the center of Andrei and Yekaterina's universe. Every day, every conversation between them, started with Viktor. Even when Andrei had to leave on his trips he made sure to keep abreast of every minutiae of Viktor's life. Then Lilia and Yakov increased the frequency of their trips even more to spoil their grandson often. And when they weren't around, packages would still arrive on a regular basis until Viktor's room became full with almost every conceivable toy imaginable and his closet filled to the brim with the most stylish sets of baby and toddler clothes.

It was a miracle that he didn't grow up to be a spoiled brat. Viktor's heart was just too pure, too cheerful for that. Something that Yakov was immensely relieved by. He was always afraid what sort of influence Andrei's genes would impart on his poor innocent grandson.

Instead, Viktor grew up to be a very pleasant baby. He seemed to have inherited Yekaterina's cheerful disposition and very clearly had Yekaterina's heart-shaped smile. All in all, it appeared that he had the best combination of his two parents.

* * *

“Hi Baba! Hi Deda, hi Ms. Anna!” 

There was another flurry of activity when Ms. Anna and the Feltsmans arrived three hours later. 

Going back to his fifth birthday, Viktor found himself surrounded by piles of gifts from his relatives. Ms. Anna had joined the Feltsmans when they arrived earlier in the afternoon. And after a few minutes of some animosity between Andrei and Yakov, everything settled down. 

For most families this level of tension would be something they would dread but this kind of scene became so commonplace whenever the two met that it was already expected. Viktor even decided to make a game out of it, to observe how long it would take for his Deda to start yelling or watch how red his face can become. One time, his Deda’s face even turned slightly purple! It was so funny to watch!

Sometimes, though, it would hurt when his Deda would accuse his Papa of being away from home too often. He remembered when he himself threw a tantrum a few weeks ago when they thought that his Papa wouldn’t make it for his birthday. It was very rare for him to ever raise his voice against his Mama which is why he probably had gotten away without a tongue lashing. It was a good thing his Baba wasn’t around--she was always strict when it came to things like that.

He had run off from his Mama while they were walking at the county park and he had walked off the trail and into the thin sandbar by the creek. And he wasn’t alone either, there was some other kid probably around his age. He scratched his cheek just recalling the memory.

Whoever it was, they were really nice. They even gave him their handkerchief so he could properly dry his tears instead of just wiping them on his sleeve. He wrinkled his nose absentmindedly as he recalled the nice flowery scent, so similar to the magnolia flowers his Papa would gift for his Mama every now and again. 

It was a shame really that he hasn’t seen that person again. Viktor kept that handkerchief tucked in his jacket pocket whenever they would return to the park but he had yet to see any sign of that person so he could return the item. 

But at least his Papa did make it here. He just hoped that he didn’t get into too much trouble to get here but if Viktor were to be truly honest, he was just selfishly happy that his Papa was with them so that their family was complete for his birthday. 

He wondered if other kids’ Papas ever spent so much time away from home like his Papa did. It was almost like he’d have to leave every other week for a good three to five days to fly off somewhere. 

Judging by the way his Deda yelled at his Papa, it must not be completely normal to be gone so often then. His Mama was always really great about it though. Whenever his Papa would say that he’s leaving for a trip she’d simply nod and smile and take it all in stride. 

“How long?” She’d always ask. 

And no matter what, his Papa never stayed longer than what he’d promise. Not even that one time that something happened to the company jet. He simply just purchased a new one instead of waiting for the necessary repairs. He knew because he overheard his Mama chiding his Papa over it over the phone.

That’s how they kept in touch. No matter what time it was wherever his Papa was, he and his Mama would always have their phone call at eight in the evening, sharp. His Mama would take her usual spot by the parlor and walk up and down the length of the room. She would cradle the phone close to her head, hugging it close and absentmindedly curling the phone’s cords around her fingers while she spoke with his Papa. 

If it was the weekend, his Mama would let him stay later and she would put his Papa on speakerphone so they could both talk to him. On the weekdays, his Papa would also call earlier shortly after dinnertime so he could still keep abreast of what’s been happening at home. 

But whenever his Papa came back, oh the smile on his Mama’s face could light up the entire room. No, the entire house!

His Papa would always have a small surprise for them. Usually it was a small trinket from whatever part of the globe he came from or something that reminded his Papa of them. 

“I actually wanted to surprise your Mama with all the jewelry in the store,” he had whispered conspiratorially to Viktor a few months past.

Viktor ooh’ed at that statement. “Then why didn’t you, Papa? Was it too much money?”

Andrei had leaned back as if the very idea was an affront to him. “Nonsense, Vitya, there is no such thing as something being too much money.”

“Then why then?”

His Papa’s eyes flitted to his Mama who was listening to their conversation just a few feet away across the dining table. She was smiling into her mochaccino while pretending to read the newspaper.

“It’s because your Mama would otherwise force me to sleep in a separate bedroom,” Andrei said in a stage whisper. 

Viktor gasped. “But why? Mama should have all the shiny jewel stuff in the world!”

“My thoughts exactly,” Andrei leaned down further so he was eye to eye with his son. 

“You should buy them all, Papa.” Viktor said with all the seriousness a four-year-old could give. His father nodded, equally serious although there was a sparkle in his eyes that belied his humor. “I should. How many jewelry stores should I buy, Vitya?”

“All the jewel stores in the whole wide world!” Viktor held his arms out wide to emphasize the point. 

“But then Mama will no longer let me sleep in our bedroom.” 

“It’s okay Papa, you can share my bed.” 

Andrei laughed and ruffled his son’s hair. 

“Dyusha, please don’t go off giving our Vitya ideas. Dealing with just one of you is enough,” Yekaterina tittered as she dropped all pretenses and folded the newspaper, placing it on the table. 

You see, his Papa’s philosophy was that you should never waste an opportunity to show someone how much you loved them. And while his Mama always insisted that she didn’t need grand gestures for him to demonstrate his love, Andrei managed every now and then to indulge his whims to go above and beyond to provide her tokens of his love. 

Sometimes they were simpler, like hiring three chefs in rotating shifts to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that Yekaterina could have whatever food she desired when she was wracked with the strangest of cravings in the middle of her pregnancy. Andrei sometimes wondered if it was necessary to have the professional cooking services during the one time he arrived from a trip abroad to see his wife perched on a stool in their kitchen munching on a pickle spear dipped in peanut butter.

“Katya? What on Earth are you eating?! Isn’t Chef Moreau supposed to be taking care of you?” Andrei stormed over, leaving his suitcase forgotten at the foot of the kitchen. 

Summoned upon hearing his name, Chef Moreau appeared from the double doors that separated the dining area from the kitchen proper and held out both hands in a gesture of surrender. “It was Mrs. Nikiforov’s request, sir.”

Yekaterina blushed upon the fuss and swallowed before waving up another pickle spear threateningly. “Don’t you go blaming poor Chef Moreau. Your little baby wanted something sour and something nutty. This was the first thing I thought of.” She rubbed her 14-week-old bump. “You cannot pass any judgement on anything I eat until I pop this baby out.”

Andrei gulped and wisely opted not to say anything in response. He instead chose to watch his wife dip the fresh spear into the peanut butter jar with a grimace and sat down on another stool next to her. 

“Would you like anything, sir?” The chef asked.

“Erm… just toast and jam will do, Moreau, thank you.” Andrei said a silent prayer that his unborn child was getting all the nutrients it needed somehow. 

And once Viktor was born and old enough to understand, he could tell that the gestures of love between his parents could be as simple as a slow waltz across the ballroom. Mama said that Baba was a Prima Ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet, a highly esteemed position especially for an omega. Mama herself took ballet and other classical dancing lessons, although she was nowhere near the level to even think of applying for the Bolshoi Ballet. 

“I belong on the ice, Vitya. I’m a figure skater first and foremost. But your Baba insisted that I also took those dancing lessons since they help.” 

Viktor would have thought though that Mama belonged just as well as a dancer on the ballroom floor when he’d watch his Mama and Papa’s graceful movements. It was almost like those scenes in his Disney movies of the princesses meeting their prince charmings. Every move was carefully coordinated, done in tandem, as his parents fell into step in time to the music. Except, really, it was more than that. It was as if his parents commanded the music to their movements. And the way they stared into each other’s eyes… even though Viktor was usually a pretty hyper four-year-old, he would pause and stop himself from ruining the moment between them. 

He always wondered what they thought about when they stared into each other’s eyes like that. Were they perhaps talking to each other in their mind? He once saw a character on a television show that had those special powers. Maybe that’s something mates can do too.

Well whatever it was, it was powerful enough that his parents wouldn’t notice when the record would already be done, the gramophone’s stylus already running along the edge of the disc. Usually by that time his parents would simply sway back and forth in place beside one of the large floor-length windows. Then slowly, they’d eventually stop, simply embracing each other.

His Papa would usually be the first one to notice him. He would turn his head slightly so one of his eyes would meet his and nod him over. His Mama would then lift her head off his Papa’s chest to smile at him. The two would part to welcome him with open arms into their embrace and Viktor would allow himself to be held and comforted by their familiar scents. 

* * *

His Mama and Papa seemed to be more affectionate than his Baba and Deda, although he could tell that Baba and Deda also very much loved each other in their own quiet way. Viktor was a curious child and he once went on a spree where he would go and ask everyone who their mates were.

Once Yekaterina found out she took him aside and whispered that it wasn’t something to ask just anyone about. 

“Why not? I wanna learn about other people’s mates.”

“Well, it’s just not that polite Vitya. Some people like to keep things private and not talk about them.” Yekaterina explained to him patiently while they were walking along their usual route in the county park. 

“But that’s silly. If I had a mate, I would wanna talk about him all the time!” 

His Mama laughed and squeezed his hand. “You can certainly talk all you want about your mate. But you must introduce me to him.”

“Of course, I’ll introduce you to my mate, Mama! You will be the first to know!” Viktor swung their arms between them back and forth as they ambled up a gentle hill. “When I meet my mate, I will tell everyone that I love him!”

It was the second time that her son alluded to his mate’s gender. “How do you know your mate is a boy, Vitya?” She looked down to see her son gazing back at her with a confused expression on his face.

“I just know. Why?”

Yekaterina shrugged. “Well, what if you find out that your mate is a girl?” 

Viktor seemed to ponder it for a few seconds but then shook his head and said, “No, I know my mate is a boy. A nice omega, just like you, Mama!”

Her son never ceased to amaze her on a daily basis. It was curious where he suddenly got this fixation on meeting his mate but she just figured that it was another whim that children were wont to partake in every now and then.

Still… the thought of her son introducing her to his mate. It was so cute! But that won’t be for another few years from now, certainly, since her son was still only four-years-old. It was funny really that they were talking about mates this early… shouldn’t she be having this conversation more when Viktor was thirteen and starting puberty?

And oh what a moment that would be, when she sees her sweet, innocent Vitya begin to court the omega he chooses to be his mate. Hopefully with some gentle guidance from her, he wouldn’t fumble with the mistakes his sire made. Yekaterina cringed recalling the rocky beginning of her and Andrei’s courtship. 

She had a feeling though that Viktor would be just fine. He was a sweet boy, and although she could see Andrei’s tendencies to be over-the-top in him every now and then, his charm allowed his actions to be interpreted as an eager, affectionate alpha. 

_‘Whoever this omega is, Vitya, they would be very lucky to have you as their alpha.’_


	2. Mama & Papa - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get our last glimpse of Vitya's relationship with his parents--before the middle school sequel that is ;D

**Mama & Papa - Part II**

If it were not evident enough already, let it be stated here, officially and without a single ounce of doubt, that Viktor inherited his extra-ness from his father. 

Andrei was a stoic man and can even be considered downright cold and unfeeling to those who worked with him. He had a business acumen that was unparalleled. Even if he came from old money, it was his ruthlessness in the boardroom that led to the rise of the Nikiforov Enterprises into the empire that it was. He was a dominant alpha that was used to getting whatever he wanted and it was not until he met a young omega named Yekaterina Feltsman that he learned what it was like to pursue something like his life depended on it. 

And even if it may not have added to his portfolio or added another millions to his net worth, his pursuit of Yekaterina would really be the only thing he would consider actually worthwhile of anything he had devoted his life to until then.

It did not matter that his parents or any of his advisors protested and rallied against his marriage. Not even a threat of being disowned from the line dissuaded him. In the end, the threats were all empty. He was still the shining firstborn, his mother and father’s favorite. His younger sister Irina had long since been effectively disowned a few years before with all her dalliances and whimsical ventures. 

It was just as well that the universe sought to pair him up with Yekaterina. Andrei had zero patience after all for the traditional submissive omega, as much as his mother preferred to pair him up with one of the simpering omegas that would attend her charity balls. His Yekaterina rose above them all.

She was a strong woman, physically and mentally. He watched her perform her routines on the ice several times throughout her competitions and admired the lean cut of those thighs that bunched whenever she prepared for a jump and then supported her weight upon landing. Those thighs can easily crush his skull and he’d die a happy alpha. And she can also feel free to skate across his face and he’d consider it a blessing.

Any lesser person who wasn’t gifted with her courage and optimism would not have survived and flourished throughout the hardships that life had thrown at her. It was the first time that Andrei’s eyes were opened to the realities of the world, a world beyond his life of luxury--the moment his Katya had shown him the orphanage she grew up in. It was not until she was eight-years-old that she would be adopted by Yakov and Lilia and started her life of comfort.

As such, Yekaterina was not materialistic and took nothing for granted. It was why she still dedicated so much of her earnings from modeling projects and competition winnings to the orphanage. In just two years of joining the senior circuit, she was able to donate enough to purchase new beds and renovate the desolate-looking playroom in the orphanage. The stuffed toys that would be tossed onto the ice would automatically be gathered and sent to orphanages all across Russia. His Yekaterina was selfless like that.

He was still unsure how in the world he was able to successfully get her to fall in love with him but she eventually did. Their relationship started out rocky, all in part of his own efforts to fight his own desire for her and distance himself from her. By the time he finally accepted his feelings for the woman and approached her, Yekaterina had detested him so much that she did not hesitate to slap him across the face. 

Perhaps he should not have kissed her out of nowhere as a means of confessing his feelings for her.

Ah, well, the past is past. All that mattered was that, by the end of his courtship, he was able to prove himself to her and she accepted his hand in marriage. They bonded and a year later welcomed their first son into the world.

Viktor was a blessing. He was perfect, as the product of any union between him and his Katya would undoubtedly be. He inherited his strong alpha genes (he’s going to take over the world one day), his mother’s charm, and both of their good looks. 

Their home in the suburbs outside New York City was meant to be the beginning of their forever, a place where they could raise a large family without having to worry about the ubiquitous influence and presence of his relatives in Russia. It was only out of their respect for him that they restrained themselves and were not openly hostile to Yekaterina. His wife could have cared less being the object of disdain but she absolutely refused to allow their son and future children to grow up in that kind of shadow. Actually, Andrei suspected that his parents were more than willing to ignore that she bore them their first grandchild. The moment that news broke out that Andrei Sergeyovich Nikiforov’s wife gave birth to an alpha boy, the entire Nikiforov clan poured praises and congratulations for the new heir. While they detested his marriage to Yekaterina, they were willing to forego it all if it meant that Viktor would be the next in line to secure the future of the family and their riches.

Scheming sycophants, the lot of them. That was why Andrei was more happy to leave them behind when Yekaterina said that she wanted to move and start their family anew in the United States. 

And so Viktor grew up with a kind of carefree attitude that would not have been possible had he lived in Russia. He was just like any ordinary child--naive and innocent. There were times that Andrei silently doubted their choice to move but he would always be reassured whenever he saw how happy Yekaterina was raising Viktor here. 

His wife deserved nothing but the best. There were plenty of times that she would successfully put a stop to his machinations to do something over-the-top to show how dedicated he was to her. But there would an equal number of times that Andrei was able to successfully do something grandiose to show his love for his wife. The easiest example was the greenhouse that he had constructed for her for her birthday after Yekaterina fell in love with the New York Botanical Garden. Naturally, in Andrei’s mind, what could possibly be better than simply gifting your wife with a bouquet than constructing a grand greenhouse that contains all her favorite flaura?

Perhaps… next year he should construct their own menagerie of animals as a follow-up gift?

It was a massive undertaking, and of course Yekaterina knew that there was something being constructed. Andrei made sure that everyone he hired was discreet and he had the construction crew erect tarp around the site so that his wife would not be able to see what was being made.

And so Yekaterina could do nothing but simply shake her head bemusedly as she watched trucks and equipment make their way across their lawn. Even all the vehicles had their logos covered so she wouldn’t be able to tell what services they offered or products they were shipping.

Viktor was super proud that his Papa had entrusted him with what his gift was. He even had him play a role in designing a section of the garden that had benches and magnolia trees! That was why he himself was practically vibrating with anticipation when his Papa took him aside one night while his Mama was bathing to tell him that everything was ready. 

The following day, a blindfolded Yekaterina humored her husband and son by allowing herself to be led by the arm towards the finished greenhouse. 

“Just you wait, Mama! You will love it!” Viktor stretched his hand up higher so he could grasp her forearm and her hand, his Papa leading on his Mama’s other side. He beamed upon seeing his Papa wink at him.

Yekaterina smiled. “I’m sure I will love it. It looks like you two were scheming so much the past few months. Are we close?”

“Very close, milaya moya,” Andrei gave her a quick peck on her temple as they rounded the tarp and reached the glass double doors. He lifted her hand and guided it to the door knob. “Go on, you open the door.”

“Alright then.” Without further preamble, Yekaterina turned the knob and the door opened inwards. The scents of flowers, lush greenery, and humid air reached out to greet them. “Oh!” 

Andrei untied the blindfold and the two Nikiforov alphas took in her wide eyes. 

Yekaterina gasped and held a hand over her mouth. “You didn’t!” Her eyes looked from one plant to another, then made their way towards the trees. Many of them were clearly exotic.

“But we did, Mama!” Viktor tugged her forward. “Come on, you have to see everything! Papa let me chose some of the flowers!” He led her down the path but slowed his pace to allow her to take in all the sights. 

Andrei was practically preening at being able to astound his mate. He spared no expense and made sure to hire the best contractors in the industry and obtained all the plants from the most highly recommended and reputable vendors. 

Viktor sneezed, still rather sensitive to the strong scents that filled the enclosed space but did not allow that to detract from the moment. 

“Dyusha you’ve really outdone yourself this time,” Yekaterina looked wryly at her husband who simply smirked back in response. She then turned to Viktor. “And you, young man, took part in this didn’t you?” She gently bopped Viktor on his nose.

“I sure did! Come, Mama, see the rest of the flowers!” He swung her arm back in forth as he held her hand. 

Yekaterina smiled as she they passed a group of multicolored crocus flowers that were undoubtedly included since her mother grew them herself in her own garden back in Saint Petersburg. “Those look just like the ones in Mama’s garden.” She looked askance at Andrei.

“That’s because Lilia allowed me to get some of them to plant here.” 

“I’m surprised Papa let you do that.”

“That’s because Yakov was unaware of the arrangement.” 

They finally rounded the corner to the center of the greenhouse. There was a marble fountain right underneath the glass dome. Several benches were placed at the edge of the enclosure, under the shade provided by several magnolia and cherry blossom trees. Yekaterina hastily wiped away the tears that made their way down her cheeks. “Magnolia trees, just like at our wedding…”

“Mama?”

“It’s okay, Vitya, these are happy tears,” she whispered. She leaned back when she felt Andrei embrace her from behind. “I’m just so very happy…”

You see, in all her life, Yekaterina did not really expect that she would have a happily ever after. She spent her early years in one of the poorest orphanages located at the outskirts of Moscow. She had no hint of her parentage, supposedly being dropped off as a baby swaddled in nothing but a scratchy old blanket on the front steps. 

Yekaterina did not mind--judging by how devastated some of her peers were over being abandoned by their family, it seemed that ignorance was bliss. It was much easier after all not knowing the true circumstances for being left behind… at least her imagination can come up with all sorts of stories like how she was actually a long lost princess who was hidden in an orphanage because an evil witch was after her family.

Eventually though she outgrew those fantasies. By the age of seven, she accepted that she must have been abandoned for very similar reasons that the other children were. Born out of wedlock, products of trysts that were never meant to happen, or perhaps left behind when the parents realized how much more practical it would be to let go of a burden rather than have to struggle feeding yet another mouth at the table. 

Whenever she wanted to escape reality, she would allow herself to get lost in the various collections of classic English and American films. Their orphanage once had a donation of VHS tapes from a benefactor who must have had a taste for the films. It was how Yekaterina learned English, mouthing the words while she would watch them on repeat until she knew all the words by heart. 

Then one Saturday morning, she and the children were treated to a rare field trip to the nearby ice skating rink. Yekaterina fell in love with it the moment she stepped onto the ice. It was where she met Yakov, who was volunteering his time together with his students to teaching the children how to ice skate. She was a natural and caught the professional coach’s attention.

Yakov himself had sought out the head of the orphanage and convinced her to allow him to personally coach Yekaterina. And from there, the rest was history.

Yekaterina was grateful that Viktor grew up not experiencing any of the hardship she had to go through. He had all of them wrapped around his little fingers, truly.

Even her parents loved Viktor immensely. As much as she knew that her Papa hated how she chose Andrei to be her mate, he did not allow that to get in the way of how much he loved Viktor. In fact, his first gift to Viktor was his first ever ice skates--custom made with golden blades and absolutely adorable at how small they were.

Lilia was shaking her head with a wry smile beside her husband. “I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn’t listen. Your father’s a stubborn man.” 

“He will be a natural, Lilia! And of course, he’ll still play for Russia, right Katya?” Yakov looked at her expectantly.

Yekaterina gave a nervous laugh as she held onto Viktor who was bouncing up and down on her lap, clapping repeatedly and fixated on the shiny glint of the skates. “Um… I would prefer to let Viktor choose himself once he is old enough, Papa.”

“Look, see? He likes it!” Yakov’s smile was triumphant as he held the ice skates closer to his grandson. “You want to skate, yes? Just like your mother.”

One-year-old Viktor cooed and babbled at the pair of ice skates. He reached out for them but Yekaterina held him back. “Papa…” she bit her bottom lip nervously as she held him more tightly. 

“You will win many gold medals for Russia, just like your mother! Of course, these skates are still too big for you. But the moment you fit in them, we will begin your training.”

Andrei scowled and couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He reached down and pushed away the ice skates from his son. “I prefer if you don’t hold such safety hazards so close to my son.” 

Yakov turned purple with indignation. “‘Safety hazard?’ I’ll have you know that these are top-of-the-line, custom made by-”

“Alright, break it up you two, we haven’t even finished opening the rest of the gifts yet. Let’s do that while being friendly to each other, okay?”

“Ma!” Viktor already lost interest in the skates once he realized that he was never going to be able to reach them. Instead he turned his pursuit to the gifts next to them wrapped in shining patterned paper. “Ma! Ma!” He grew more insistent as he opened and closed his hands to show that he wanted the item. 

Andrei grabbed one of the other gifts from the pile and handed it over to Viktor. His son proceeded to stuff a corner of the present in his mouth to chew on it.

Another argument averted. 

* * *

Exactly four years later, Viktor beamed for the camera as everyone sang the birthday song. His face was lit by the flickering of five candles sitting atop a chocolate cake lovingly baked by Chef Moreau. 

“... Happy birthday dear Vitya, happy birthday to you!”

“Make a wish, malchik moy.” His Mama leaned over to give him a hug. Viktor felt his father’s hand give his shoulder a squeeze.

He closed his eyes and in those few seconds he saw memories of his Mama and Papa doing that grownup thing where they stare at each other silently across the room; his parents enveloped in an embrace when their waltz would meld into a gently sway back and forth--too lost in each other to realize that the song was long since finished, the gramophone’s stylus traveling the edge of the disc idly; Mama smiling lovingly out the window as she’d twirl the phone’s cord around her finger while talking to his Papa on the other end of the line when he was thousands of miles away; his Papa’s conspiring wink to him as they led Mama blindfolded towards the greenhouse his Papa had constructed for her over the course of two months, taking painstaking efforts to keep it a secret by having the crew erect a tarp around the structure; and Mama’s heart-shaped smile when his Papa finally removed the blindfold. 

He smiled and knew what his wish would be. _‘I hope I get to meet my soulmate soon!’_ And blew out all five candles.

\---

Yekaterina and Andrei allowed Viktor to stay up two hours past his bedtime but once the clock struck ten, his mother wheedled him to go back up to bed when she noticed him nodding off beside his Baba. 

“But I don’t wanna sleep yet,” he said before a yawn escaped him. He felt himself being lifted off the couch, wrapping his arms reflexively around his Papa and laid his head on his shoulder, tucking his nose in the crook of his father’s neck. The woodsy scent, mixed with a hint of leather that came from the gloves, belts, and shoes he’d wear was familiar and comforting to him. Andrei placed a hand on his son’s back.

“Growing boys need to sleep if they want to become big, strong alphas,” Andrei said to the amusement of the others in the room and Yakov’s begrudging grunt. Viktor smiled, enjoying how he felt his father’s words vibrate through his chest.

“But I am a strong alpha,” he jokingly protested.

“And you are, with plenty of sleep and eating healthy food, you should grow up to be big and tall.”

“Taller than you?”

Andrei smiled. “I’d bet.”

“We should head upstairs to bed,” Yekaterina whispered, leaning up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on Viktor’s cheek. “What do you say, Vitya?”

“Good night everyone! Thank you for coming and giving me an awesome birthday! I loved my gifts!” Viktor popped his head away from his father’s shoulder and beamed widely, waving from his perch. “See you tomorrow!” Woah, he felt so tall being carried by his Papa! He swung his legs a bit as Andrei walked them out of the living room, a chorus of good night’s echoing from the hallway as they made their way upstairs into Viktor’s bedroom, Yekaterina following closely behind. 

Andrei deposited his son gently in the middle of his bed while his mother gently untied his shoes and shuffled off his pants. Viktor removed his sweater and undershirt, allowing his father help him into his pajamas. They tucked the covers around him before leaving for a few moments to make their own preparations for bed. Viktor enjoyed listening to snippets of their conversation from his open door as he snuggled into his pillow.

Andrei was the first to return, dressed down in gray pajama pants, foregoing a shirt as usual whenever he’d go to bed. He took his usual place on Viktor’s left side, leaning over and sweeping some hair off his forehead. Viktor blew a raspberry at him.

His Papa chuckled. “Falling asleep yet?”

“Nope! I’m wide awake Papa!”

Yekaterina walked in, wearing a silky nightgown in a pastel blue. She paused to take a thin book from Viktor’s bookshelf before taking her usual place by Viktor’s right side, making herself comfortable under the blankets. She shifted over and sat up to show Viktor the book she chose for that night. “It sounds like you need some more time to fall asleep,” she smiled.

Viktor beamed back, never one to turn down an opportunity for storytime. He nodded eagerly. “Great idea, Mama.” He looked down at the cover, “The Adventures of Pippa the Poodle: Pippa’s First Trip to the Park,” he read. 

“Very good, Vitya,” Andrei ruffled his hair. 

Yekaterina opened to the first page and began reading while Viktor kept quiet and followed along, mouthing out the words silently and looking at the colorful pictures. “It was the first day of fall when Pippa’s owner, Andy, woke him up to play. Pippa was very happy because Andy promised that they would go to the park that day. The little poodle began to think of all the things they can do.” She turned the page.

As was their tradition, Andrei read next. “He wanted to play ball, and then go chase the little birds on the grass. He then remembered Andy talk about a lake, so he will visit that too. Maybe then they could go fishing there…”

Viktor smiled softly, not even realizing that his eyes began to droop as he settled more of his weight against his father’s arm. He continued to listen, allowing himself to be lulled by the comforting cadence of his father’s voice, then the melodic whisper of his mother’s as he took the time to enjoy both of their warmth. It was the perfect end to a perfect birthday.

Yekaterina noticed the moment Viktor succumbed to his dreams, her son’s breaths growing deeper. She allowed her husband to finish reading the current page before she placed a hand on Andrei’s, signalling him to stop. She tilted her head towards their son and his eyes flitted from the page to Viktor’s peaceful visage, a soft smile appearing on his face. 

She closed the book and shifted to lay down while Andrei reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, enveloping the entire bedroom into darkness, save for the sliver of moonlight that danced its way across Viktor’s curtains. The two simultaneously turned towards each other, their son between them. As their eyes adjusted to the dimness, they found themselves staring at each other, both adorned with smiles that held the weight of a thousand unspoken words of love, of devotion, and a promise of forever. 

Yekaterina was the first to reach across over to hug her son, interlacing one of her hands with her husband’s as he met her halfway. Between them was the greatest gift they have ever given to each other, a product of their love and what was hopefully the first of more to come. 

That evening Viktor had the best sleep he’s had in the past few days. He’s always had better sleep when he knew that both his parents were around. In his dreams he had a glimpse of a raven-haired, bespectacled boy with shy cinnamon-brown eyes and a soft smile. He looked familiar, somehow, and his dream self reached out to the shorter boy, gesturing him into a game of chase as they ran along happily beside a creek. He woke up with a smile on his face the next morning.

“What did you dream of, Vitya?” Yekaterina asked him the following day. “You were smiling in your sleep.” She had wrapped a terry bathrobe around her nightgown. 

“I don’t remember, but I remember the smell of that flower Papa gives you.”

“Magnolias?” Andrei was already standing up to open the curtains and allow more light into the room.

“Yes, those! That and like the air in winter, like when we go ice skating!” 

Yekaterina laughed. “Oh, is that a hint for us to go ice skating?” She looked to her husband to see his thoughts. 

Andrei shrugged and laughed. “I don’t see why not. We can go after breakfast today.”

“Yes! Maybe Deda can teach me how to do a fancy jump!”

“Alright, now breakfast first before any ice skating. Then we take at least an hour break. No ice skating on a full stomach.” 

“Up we go.” 

Viktor cheered as his father picked him up and lifted him above his head. “Higher, Papa, so I can touch the ceiling!”

Andrei chuckled. “I’m not quite that tall, Vitya.”

“Aww…”

“Okay, Mr. Head Alpha and Mr. Five-Year-Old, you go on ahead downstairs and see if your Deda is awake. He’d want to join us at the rink.” She ushered her husband out the room and turned around to straighten the bed. Yekaterina fluffed the pillows and arranged them in neat piles when she noticed a white handkerchief underneath Viktor’s pillow. Her eyes narrowed as she picked it up, turning it around to see two Chinese-looking characters in one corner.

“How odd, I don’t recall seeing this before…”

“Mama! Deda’s awake!” She heard Viktor’s shout from downstairs. “He wants to talk to you first about what jumps I can do, come come!”

Yekaterina smiled and placed the handkerchief back on the bed, the object momentarily forgotten, as she went back downstairs to join her family. If she had taken the moment, she would have smelled the scent of magnolias and fresh winter air that her son had described just minutes before.


	3. Swaying With You Under a Starry Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Viktor and Yuuri take some time to practice a waltz before their first school dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to set the mood for this chapter? Play Ed Sheeran's Photograph on repeat (actually that's pretty much the theme song for this entire series ; w ; )

**Swaying With You Under a Starry Night**

“Maybe you should borrow my scarf too, Yuuri,” Viktor unwound his scarf from his neck and reached over to wrap it on top of Yuuri’s scarf. The result was absolutely comical. The other boy already resembled the Michelin tire man with his puffy navy blue coat--so puffy in fact, that his arms had to be elevated since he could not lay them flat against his side. 

Yuuri blushed at all the fussing, waving his arms. “Vitya, I’m not _that_ cold, really.”

“But…” Viktor pouted and reached over to grasp Yuuri’s hands more tightly in his, making it a bit awkward for the two preteens to walk behind their group of friends. “Your hands are so cold, Yuuri!”

“How can you even tell if you’re wearing your own gloves?”

“I can just tell,” he insisted.

“Ugh, Viktor stop it and just give him some room to breathe. We’ve only got two more blocks to go,” Yuri piped up from Yuuri’s other side. He himself was also decked out in full winter gear, not that he was _that_ cold. But Yuuri had insisted on making sure that the younger alpha was warm, and even personally wrapped his scarf around him himself. It was the only fussing Yuri had allowed before he scowled and moved away.

“Alphas have to make sure their omegas are comfortable, Yura,” Viktor chided but obliged and just held on to one of Yuuri’s hands.

“Hey, do you guys know what you’re gonna get?” Mila called out from her spot toward the front of the group. 

“I wanna get some of those fried bananas! What are they called again?” Kenjirou jumped up in excitement. 

“Too-stones,” Guang Hong murmured. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and shivered from the cold.

Leo laughed. “It’s pronounced to-sto-nes, Guang Hong.” 

“I didn’t say it right?”

“Not really.”

“I’m gonna start off with an empanada,” Chris said, rubbing a hand over his stomach and smacking his lips. “Mmm… I’m not sure which one to get though. Maybe I’ll start off with the ham and cheese, then get some beef.” 

Georgi groaned and slouched forward, hands clenching tightly onto his backpack’s straps. “I’m starving!”

“Just one last street,” Mila said calmly. She shook her head to get rid of some of the snow that started to accumulate on the top of her cable knit beanie before tucking it lower to cover her ears better. The group of middle schoolers stopped at the corner while they waited for the intersection change lights and allow them to walk across the crosswalk.

Yuuko shivered as she watched her breath fog up before her. She shuffled closer to Takeshi since the upperclassman was practically a furnace. “W-what are you g-going to get, Takesh-shi?” She asked through chattering teeth.

Unbeknownst to her, Takeshi blushed at the closer proximity. He could smell her characteristic peony scent, although it was much less muted since Yuuko was a beta. “U-um,” he gulped and stared resolutely ahead across the walking sign, waiting for it to light up. “Something with chicken. Maybe that pollo guisada.”

“The double ‘l’ in ‘pollo’ is pronounced like a ‘y,’ Takeshi,” Leo called out a few feet away from him. 

“Yeah, pollo guisada,” Takeshi nodded his head. “I tried it last time we were there, I liked it.”

“I’ll have the beef version,” Yuuko said. 

The group started walking once more as the walking sign lit up. They tracked several footsteps across the snow, taking care to be slow since they had to circumnavigate the little snowpiles that were created when the plowtrucks pushed the snow from the roads onto the side of the street. And even the areas that were cleared had patches of black ice scattered around them. Viktor stepped aside to hold on to Yuuri’s arm steadily as the omega stepped down from the curb.

“Careful, it’s slippery,” Viktor warned. 

Behind them, Yuri scowled and grew impatient. He crouched down a bit before taking a leap forward, hopping over the snow and landing on the street. 

“Yurio!” Yuuri shuffled over quickly, tugging Viktor along. “You shouldn’t do that, you can slip and fall!” He tutted as he leaned over to make sure Yuri didn’t injure himself somehow which was a silly notion really since the younger alpha didn’t fall whatsoever. Yuri grumbled something under his breath but whatever he said was muffled by his scarf. He nonetheless allowed Yuuri to grab his hand and tug both of them along, sandwiched once more between the two alphas. 

It was a common sight over the years, ever since Yuri had firmly cemented himself into their family almost five years ago. Yuuri would always be in the middle with Viktor to his right and Yuri to his left. And now they and their friends were walking over to dine with one of their extended family, so to speak. 

The group rounded the corner to find a brick building that was renovated with a fresh awning and reinforced two lite casement windows. In milder weather there would be an open patio outside cordoned off with a wooden fence and hanging ivies but given that they were in the beginning of February, there was no trace of the patio. There were small groups of students of varying ages from Kubo International congregated outside, probably either waiting for some friends or waiting for their ride home.

Above the olive green awning was a sign written in golden letters, “La Cocina de Manuel.” With it being only a few blocks away, it became a common hangout spot not just for the locals but also for the students and staff at the school. Manuel fulfilled his dream to open his own restaurant a few years ago. The menu was simple and by no means fancy, but his passion showed in every dish he prepared. He still hired other cooks, his own son Fernando sometimes helping, but spent most of the time in the kitchen himself.

Soon after he was given the reward money, he had gotten cataract surgeries for his eyes which was all he needed to restore his sight. Some of the remaining money (and there was quite a lot, he had gotten twenty million dollars after all) was spent on renovating the convenience store and gas station, and investing in his dream of opening his new restaurant. 

It was a wise choice opening a restaurant in the town square just a few blocks away from the school. It became an instant favorite among the people in Kubo International and ensured continued patronage from the students and staff. And the students, being the children of wealthy parents, naturally told them how much they loved the food. From there it spread to the parents and before Manuel and his family knew it, they soon got catering requests for corporate and school functions and private parties. 

Needless to say, they no longer struggled for money nowadays. And most importantly, Manuel was doing what he loved. It was never too late to pursue one’s passion after all. 

His son was also given a share and now Fernando had his own limousine company. Similar to his father, he enjoyed the patronage of the students and families of Kubo International. Business was so good that they even began to expand their service into the entire tristate area. And if Lady Luck continued looking upon them favorably, it was possible that Manuel will start opening up more branches of his restaurant. 

The group of friends closed the remaining distance to the restaurant. Georgi marched up the few steps and kept the door open as his friends shuffled inside one by one. 

Viktor gently ushered his omega forward before he allowed himself or Yuri to enter. Everyone breathed sighs of relief as they entered into the warm foyer of the restaurant, instantly salivating at the delicious scent of cooked food waft over to them. 

Yuuri felt his cheeks instantly flush at the sudden change in temperature and quickly unwound the two scarves off his neck. 

“Hey Vitya,” Fernando called, making his way out from the double doors that separated the entrance from the kitchen area. He must have just finished a shift since he was wiping his hands on a paper towel and removing a hairnet from his head. “You guys dining here tonight?”

“Yeah! Hi Mr. Nando, is Mr. Manny around?” Viktor walked towards the man.

“He’s cooking at the back, but I’ll tell him you and your friends are here. Usual spot okay?”

“Yup! Thanks Mr. Nando!” Viktor turned around and gestured his friends to follow him to their usual table in the corner of the secondary room. It was partitioned off from the rest of the main restaurant to allow for patrons to reserve it for private parties. On weekdays like this it was usually unoccupied, and so, he and his friends were usually given free reign of the area. He loved it especially since one side of the wall had the cushiony, booth-like seats that he knew Yuuri like to nestle himself in. 

As if on cue, the omega walked on ahead eagerly to claim his usual spot, scooching over between two tables so he could plop himself down on the said booth-seat. He patted the area right next to him, beaming at Viktor while he took off his scarves, beanie, and coat.

Viktor smiled and removed his coat before he went over, piling it up in the empty table next to Yuuri. Yuri followed suit, sitting on Yuri’s other side. One by one their friends took off their winter gear and a pile of jackets grew on the empty table at the end of the room. Everyone settled into the seats and smiled in unison when a waitress came by to give them their menus.

“I’ll be back with our complementary nachos and give you all a chance to decide,” she winked.

“Ooooh I already know what I want,” Guang Hong murmured under his breath as Leo reached for his napkin and placed it on his lap. 

“I’ll get the black bean soup,” Yuuri said, “and maybe an empanada too. Ham and cheese.”

“That’s a good idea, Yuuri, the soup should help warm you up,” Viktor chirped. “I’ll have the same then.”

“I want a mountain of empanadas!” Yuri bit out. “One of each kind!”

“Yeah there’s the empanada sampler,” Georgi said, leaning over to point it out to Yuri from across the table. “Are you sure you can finish all of that?”

“Yes!”

Viktor was about to protest. It’s never about the cost, but it was not good to be wasteful either and he highly doubted Yuri would actually be able to finish all of it. He stopped when Yuuri reached over to place a hand on his arm.

“It’s okay,” Yuuri said reassuringly. “Yurio’s growing, he needs it. And anyways if there’s any leftovers, we can take them home.”  
“Fine,” Viktor whispered back as he took in their friends’ conversations. 

“So we have a group project due next week,” Takeshi was saying to Chris and Yuuko. “And there’s this one guy who’s being really bad and not doing _anything.”_

“Ugh, I hate group projects. Why do we have to work together anyway?” Chris said. 

“They say it prepares us for the real world,” Yuuko said adding some air quotes. “Whatever that means.”

“If group projects are the only things adults do then I never want to grow up.”

“I’m looking forward to the Valentine’s Day dance!” Mila suddenly said loudly enough to be heard up and down the table. “Yuuko!” She turned to the only other girl of their group. “Do you know what you’re wearing? My Mama and Mommy are taking me dress-shopping tomorrow!”

“Yes, I just got my dress delivered yesterday! My Okaa-san will be taking me to the tailor’s tomorrow to get it trimmed a bit,” Yuuko said excitedly. “Then after that, we go shopping for accessories!”

“Oooh, what are you going to get?!”

“Maybe some hairclips, I saw these new ones on a magazine that are tiny and look like stars!” Yuuko smiled teasingly up at Takeshi and playfully nudged him on his side. “You’d think that’s pretty, right Takeshi?” Her touch caused the older boy to blush violently as he coughed and covered his face using the menu. “I’m sorry, what did you say Takeshi?”

“I s-said anything you decide to wear is pretty!”

“How sweet of you Takeshi.” Mila’s smile was like a Cheshire cat’s. She winked over at Yuuko who giggled, the two obviously knowing something that they weren’t sharing with the rest of the group. 

Chris gave a confused glance over to Georgi to see if his friend knew what was going on. Georgi simply shrugged and rolled his eyes, mouthing, “girls.”

“Alright kids, I’ve got your nachos. And Mr. Rubio told me to get you guys extra dips, on the house,” the waitress came by and brought over two trays of hot nachos, placing on each side of the table. The middle schoolers tucked in the moment the trays touched the table.

Viktor immediately reached out to grab a handful, placing it on Yuuri’s plate. He knew otherwise his mate would have been more than happy to sit back and let his friends have their fill before getting anything for himself. His mate was just so selfless like that. It was good he had a mate like himself to watch out for him!

“I think it’s really nice that Yuuko and Takeshi are going together,” Yuuri said as he leaned over to take a spoonful of the cheese dip and giving himself, Viktor, and Yuri a portion. Yuri dived right in and practically shoved his nacho chips into the cheese. Yuuri reached for Yuri’s glass and slid it closer to him. “Make sure you drink, Yurio.”

The younger alpha grumbled but complied and drank from the glass. 

“It’s pretty obvious that they like each other,” Viktor said while eating his own nachos. He got some salsa and shared it with Yuri and Yuuri. “That’s good they get to dance with each other.”

“Saves them from a lot of drama,” Yuri muttered while he continued to munch on his nachos.

“Hush, Yurio,” Yuuri chided. “I do hope they confess their feelings to each other soon.” He turned around as he noticed the waitress approach them again, procuring a notepad from her apron pockets. 

“Alright you guys, what will you all be having? Mr. Rubio said he pretty much knows everyone’s favorites by now but he wanted me to make sure.” There was a clamor as everyone began saying their orders at once, causing the lady to laugh. “Alright, alright.” She held a hand up. “One at a time, I swear all your orders will come out at the same time, so no rush in telling me what you want.” She pointed her pen over to Yuuko who was sitting closest to her. “You first, sweetie.”

“I’ll have the beef guisado please!”

The waitress then turned to Takeshi. “I’ll have the chicken guisado.”

“Pollo guisado?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Mila raised her hand. “I’ll have a pastele.” On and on they went around the table until everyone’s orders were collected. 

Everyone was very hungry by the time Manuel Rubio came over from the kitchen. “Vitya, Yuuri!” The man beamed as he made his way towards them, shaking Viktor’s hand warmly before ruffling Yuuri and Yuri’s hair. The younger alpha scowled at the unwanted physical contact but suffered it silently--he knew better than to bite at the hand that feeds him anyway. And Mr. Rubio did make such great empanadas. Not that anything could possibly beat his Dedushka’s pirozhkis of course. But that was completely different. It was like comparing apples to oranges, who was stupid enough to do that?

“How are you doing? How’s the appetizers?”

“Hi Mr. Manny! We’re doing great and the food is awesome!” Viktor beamed back and his second grandfather of sorts. Goodness knows Manuel Jose Rubio pretty much adopted him and his friends as his own grandchildren. And like any loving grandparent, his default modes were to coddle and to feed. With him and his culinary passions, Mr. Rubio’s usual go-to was to feed. It was why he insisted on never accepting their payments the last few years. ( _“It’s only with your father’s money that I even have this restaurant in the first place, Vitya. It wouldn’t be fair.”_ ) 

Manuel dragged an empty chair from the coat-ladden table to perch down in front of Yuuri and Viktor. “So how are things in school?”

“School’s been great, Mr. Manny,” Yuuri smiled at the older man. 

“Yeah, just some annoying group projects!” Chris called down from the other end of the table. 

“Forget the projects! There’s going to be a dance in a few weeks Mr. Manny!” Mila called out beside him.

“Aah a dance, eh?” There was a twinkle in the old man’s eye. “Yes, that is much more fun than projects, no?”

“Takeshi and I are going together,” Yuuko chirped proudly as she leaned over and held on to Takeshi’s arm. The boy practically yelped and hid behind his napkin as their friends began to laugh.

“I’m taking Guang Hong,” Leo said nonchalantly and the younger boy nodded. At this point they simply viewed each other as friends.

“I’m going with Georgi,” Mila shrugged over to the alpha sitting across from her. “Just as friends though.”

Georgi nodded his head. “Going out with other girls is so stressful! You have to worry about asking them… What if they reject you? And then they will make you dance with just them all night! It would be too boring. At least I know with Mila things will be okay cuz we’re just friends.”

“And I’m assuming you two are going together?” Manuel turned his attention to Yuuri and Viktor. Yuuri ducked his head and blushed--honestly, though, what else was everyone expecting? That Viktor would just randomly go choose another person to go to the dance with? Ha! As if! And soon enough, Yakov would start to be friendly with Andrei and invite him for a friendly chat over whiskey by the fireplace, suuuure.

“We will, Mr. Manny! I already asked Yuuri out a few weeks ago!” 

“As if the two would actually dance with anyone else,” Yuri muttered under his breath. Manuel heard him, however, and laughed, reaching over to ruffle the young alpha’s blond hair. Yuri almost yelped in surprise and it was only his highest respect for the man that kept him from lashing out. 

“Make sure to take lots of pictures for me.” Manuel smiled at the children before him checking off yet another milestone off their list. It was really nice, being able to see them grow up. And before he knew it, they would have a small graduation before they continued on to high school. Then they would definitely be transferring campuses to whatever college they would go to.

“I got you covered, Mr. Manny! I’ll bring my latest camera to the dance!” Phichit cheered from the other end of the table. 

“Well, I better let you kids enjoy your dinner.” Manuel stood up as he saw the waitress and another waiter come by with three large trays of food. One of them propped upon a foldable table and placed the trays down and began distributing the dishes. “Eat up, and make sure you all have room for dessert!”

\---

Two hours later when the food disappeared from their plates and empty bellies became full, their friends slowly got picked up by their family. First it was Guang Hong and Leo, then Yuuko, Mila, Takeshi, Georgi and Chris, then Phichit. Yuri was still enjoying his dessert so Viktor decided to hold off on calling his Papa. 

“Dance with me?” He whispered as he watched Yuuri blink back at him indolently. The omega looked close to falling into a food coma but smiled and nodded his head. 

“Sure.”

Viktor hummed softly under his breath as he led Yuuri further into the glass patio. This far away from the central portion of the restaurant, the two could feel the cold draft from thin glass that separated them from the winter air. “Are you warm enough?” He whispered.

Yuuri nodded. “Mmhmm, and once we start moving around a bit anyway it’s gonna feel warmer.” 

Viktor gently squeezed Yuuri’s hip and held the omega’s right hand higher, just like Baba taught them. They fell into a slow waltz, the restaurant’s current instrumental piece playing on the speakers creating the perfect song for their dance. He easily allowed himself to let muscle memory take over.

Yuuri, on the other hand, was a bit more stiff, tongue sticking out in concentration and brows furrowed as he kept his eyes on the ground to follow their movements. 

“Yuuuurii~ don’t pay attention to your feet so much, just step with the music!”

“But I don’t want to step on your feet, Vitya,” he murmured as he almost fell out of sync with Viktor’s steps. “S-see? I almost stepped on you!”

“Aww, Yuuri, you can never hurt me. You haven’t even stepped on my feet since the second day we practiced.” 

Lilia, Andrei, and Yakov have been taking turns teaching them various classical dances from the foxtrot to the waltz the moment that Viktor ran home one day with a neon pink flyer advertising the Valentine’s Day Dance. He had demanded that they teach him and Yuuri how to dance. And so the classes began in earnest, with Minako diligently continuing the lessons when Yuuri went home. You would think that the two were entering a dance competition with the kind of fervor that they took up the lessons. They certainly lacked the same passion when it came to their didactic studies as Andrei would teasingly point out to his son.

Although all the efforts was actually more for Viktor. The moment his mind was fixated on something, there was no let-up and his current obsession the past two months was learning how to properly dance because only a true alpha should dance properly with his omega--none of that trashy flinging of the arms or hip hop dancing that he saw Chris do one day with his cousins. No, his Yuuri deserved to be led into a proper dance, like in those ballroom scenes in the movies his Mama used to watch so much!

“Trust me, Yuuri, just lose yourself to the music. It’s what I do. Don’t get too absorbed in following the right steps.” Viktor tugged gently on Yuuri’s right hand. “Come on, try it… close your eyes for me.” 

“But…”

“Pleeeaassee, Yuuri?” Viktor gave him a puppy-eyed look. 

Yuuri pouted. Now that was just not fair. Viktor knew he could never say no when he does that. “Okay, fine.” He hesitated a moment before finally complying and closing his eyes. “Like this?” His movements became a bit stiffer now that he no longer had his sight. 

“Exactly, now just don’t focus on the steps and just focus on the music. I’ll lead you.”

Yuuri pursed his lips and held Viktor’s hand more tightly as he allowed himself to be led through the steps. After a few more rounds his movements became more fluid and it wasn’t before long that he began to smile again. 

“See?” Viktor’s voice was triumphant. 

Yuuri opened his eyes. “Fine! You win.” He stuck his tongue out at Viktor and laughed. “It is more fun when I’m not looking at my feet.” The glass patio allowed him to enjoy the way the moonlight created a halo around Viktor’s head, making his hair look like starlight. His eyes were a gorgeous blue that reminded Yuuri of the warm ocean surf. And there, his ever-present heart-shaped smile. Yuuri would do anything he can in his power to make sure that smile never left Viktor’s face. 

The two giggled as they continued their waltz across the floor, not even paying attention when the classical song was replaced by one of the top 40 pop hits on the radio. 

Unbeknownst to them Manuel quietly took a picture of the two swaying underneath that starlit sky, another round of gently falling snow beginning to make its way down from the heavens. The snowflakes bounced off the light from the streetlights, creating a soft bokeh effect that added a warm touch to such an intimate scene. He would develop that film and gift the photograph on Yuuri and Viktor’s second (and honestly only official) wedding several years later when he would be older than what he was that day, wheelchair-bound, when arthritic knees and even more arthritic fingers may have successfully kept him away from the kitchen but never away from his adopted grandsons’ wedding. 

Behind that photograph Manuel would lovingly write in beautiful cursive: _‘¡Que hermoso es su amor! It is such a wonderful thing to behold how your love just continued to grow throughout these years. Keep each other close. Not everyone is as blessed as you two are to grow up with your soulmate. Thank you for making this old man still believe in love. God Bless you two. May you continue to find each other throughout your lifetimes.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Mr. Manuel Rubio and his family do have a happily ever after and as you can tell from this Middle School snippet, is not the last we'll see of them :)


	4. Ski Trip Take II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Viktor and Yuuri spend a much-deserved vacation in a mountain resort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING!** Please heed the jump to explicit rating with this chapter and it starts right away. I know it’s abrupt since this is another time skip, so note the additional tags I added for this chapter: explicit sex, specifically omegaverse sex including descriptions of knotting

**Ski Trip Take II**

Now mind you, it was a near miracle that Viktor was able to convince his and Yuuri’s families to allow them to go spend their vacation at a mountain resort. He honestly cannot blame them for their misgivings considering that they all thought that he and Yuuri got buried in an avalanche just a year ago. But Viktor put up a convincing argument. His mate teasingly said that it was more because he was a spoiled brat and refused to back down until he got his way and, well, … that was accurate too.

But it all was worth it in the end! It was winter break after their first semester of college and they all deserved a little vacation, right? 

And right now… let’s just say he was helping himself to a bit of an appetizer. It wasn’t his fault. His Yuuri just looked so tempting the way he was laying down, curled up in their bed, lit by the sunlight that poured from the window. It looked absolutely frigid outside, as expected in a mountain resort, but the crackling fire from their fireplace kept the room cozy and warm.

Viktor made sure not to hold back on any expense. He went on ahead and booked the largest suite, usually reserved for honeymooning couples, so that he and his Yuuri could have the privacy they craved. 

There was a lot of time spent having reunions with their families and friends to celebrate Christmas and Viktor and Georgi’s birthdays during the first few days of their vacation. Viktor was almost worried that he was going to end up being celibate! He had gotten spoiled during their first semester of college when he and his Yuuri moved into their own condo together. For the first time, they had their own place to themselves! They no longer had to hold themselves back and enjoyed having sex wherever, whenever, and however they want without fear of someone walking into them or hearing them. 

In the end, he worried for nothing because Yuuri himself was the one who practically jumped on him the moment they reached their reserved suite yesterday.

Ah, and what a wonderful lovemaking session they had last night! He was never disappointed with his mate’s incredible flexibility. The kinds of positions that wily omega of his can get into! But he was getting ahead of himself. His musings perked him up, so to speak, or at least the lower half of his body. Vitenka grew, ready to greet another day, and it looked like he was just about ready for another round too.

Viktor’s smile turned mischievous as he leaned over and tugged Yuuri closer, pressing the shorter man’s back against his chest. His content growls rumbled across his chest and vibrated across Yuuri’s back. Even though he could not see the omega’s face, he could tell the moment Yuuri woke up from his sleep and smiled in the morning light. “Good morning, solnyshko,” he whispered huskily as he reached a little further to nibble on the bottom of Yuuri’s earlobe.

Yuuri giggled and placed a hand over Viktor’s arm. “Good morning, Vitya.” Viktor smirked into the crook of his mate’s neck when Yuuri said his next words. “And it looks like you have plans on making the morning even better?” He grinded his ass back against the alpha’s hardening cock. 

Viktor groaned. “You always were in sync with me.” 

“Perks of being bonded, no?” 

Ah, his Yuuri was such a minx! Such Eros! Vitenka wholeheartedly agreed, making his way between the omega’s cheeks. He cuddled closer with his omega, those innocent actions belying how he was also grinding their lower halves together underneath the sheets. 

Speaking of sheets, he’d have to tip housekeeping _generously_ for being such sweet dears and providing them with an endless supply of fresh linen. His precious Yuuri would blush so violently whenever he would greet them at the door with another armful of christened (he refused to call them soiled!) sheets. His Yuuri would plead for him to just simply leave them in the corner (“Why do you have to deliver them personally, Vitya?!”) but there was just something that inherently called to his alpha when he was able to provide proof of bedding his omega thoroughly. He was one very proud alpha male!

If Yurio found out he would grimace in disgust and say that Viktor was too busy preening again about boning Yuuri. 

Well excuse you, Yurio, he did not ‘bone’ his Yuuri. Theirs was an act of passionate lovemaking, and should never be degraded by being referred to by any such crude name. 

But if Yurio simply meant that he brought himself and his Yuuri to many orgasms, then yes, yes, he did bone his Yuuri very well indeed.

Ah, he keeps getting distracted. So back to his beautiful mate--Yuuri was at this point kneeling on all fours above their bed, squirming rather restlessly in his arms. Pretty soon he’ll-

“Vitya,” Yuuri whined. “Don’t tease me, it’s too early for this…”

Right on the dot, he knew that his Yuuri was going to voice out against his teasing. Could you blame him, though? He was just so fun to wind up.

“Shh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he murmured into Yuuri’s nape. He moved his hands from where they were caressing Yuuri’s sides to his hips, gripping them. 

“Just shove it in, I’m still prepared from last night,” his mate whispered breathlessly. 

“Are you sure? Yuuri, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You can never hurt me Vitya. Please?”

Viktor placed a kiss on Yuuri’s head before he scooted close enough to press his cock flush against the omega’s cheeks. He reached down to wrap a hand and guide it to Yuuri’s opening, the rim leaking slick and fluids from their activities the night before. 

“Yes…” Yuuri hissed as Viktor pressed inside. As he had promised, he was relaxed enough to let Vitenka in with minimal resistance. 

Viktor kept going until he bottomed out, grunting upon feeling the sheer bliss of being completely sheathed by Yuuri. It never stopped feeling novel, being enveloped by his heat. This way it felt more than just simply laying with Yuuri. He could feel his heartbeat, feel the blood pump around him. They were truly one whenever they were like this, and he loved savoring every moment of it. He shifted a bit to make sure that he wouldn’t slip on any pillows or bedsheets once he starts moving. “Yuuri… how’s this?”

“Good,” Yuuri gasped. “More than good, actually. It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

“Lies,” he whispered back. “You’re the perfect one, Yuuri.” He laid a gentle hand over his mate’s heart. “Are you alright? Is it okay if I move?”  
“Yes, please do.”

He shifted his hands once again to place a gentle grip on Yuuri’s hips. He tilted his hips back before he thrusted them forward again, carefully at first, in case Yuuri overestimated his preparedness. But it looked like he worried for nothing because pretty soon Yuuri was the one canting his hips backwards. “Vitya, I swear I’m not made of glass.” He turned his head and Viktor could see a glimpse of a rather disgruntled omega. “Give it to me!”

He bent down to place a kiss at his nape. “Anything for my mate.” He began to set up a rhythm once more, making sure to set a faster pace than their gentle rocking from before. He initially thought that they could do some more foreplay, but far be it from him to deny his Yuuri anything. After a few seconds, Yuuri was able to match his rhythm, moving his own hips to maximize contact with Viktor and allow him to enter more deeply. 

The physical sensation of sex was something to behold, and a part of Viktor can understand why some people (Chris was the first one that came to mind) would be into one-night stands. There’s a rush, a high that you get from a skilled touch here, a whispered promise there… but Viktor refuses to think that he would ever be satisfied with a purely physical connection, especially a temporary one. 

Call him a hopeless, old-fashioned, sappy romantic but he can only really see himself having sex with someone he would be with for life. And thank goodness he has his Yuuri, and met him at such a young age. They ended up sharing all their milestones together...their courtship, first date, first kiss, first engagement, first wedding, first honeymoon, first school dance, prom, their first time… who cared if some of those were in a different order than for a typical person--he and his Yuuri were far from typical after all! 

Viktor sighs and transfers his right hand from Yuuri’s hip to the omega’s chest, his ring pressed where his husband’s heart rested. His hips unconsciously started to follow the beat of his heart. Yuuri lowered the upper half of his body back on top of the sheets while keeping his ass in the air. Viktor quickly grabbed a pillow and placed it under the omega’s hips to make him more comfortable. The new angle allowed him to go deeper.

“Yes! That’s it, Vitya!”

He must have hit Yuuri’s prostate with his latest thrust. Viktor made sure to make his succeeding strokes hit the same bundle of nerves. “Yuuri…” he panted as he felt sweat bead up on his forehead.

“I’m close, Vitya.”  
“I’m close too.” He felt Yuuri place a hand on top of the one clutching his chest, lacing their fingers.

“Cum with me, I want-” Yuuri’s were cut off as he gasped at another rough thrust and whimpered with the overload of sensation. 

And here it was, the build-up as he felt himself and his mate begin to reach that precipice. Every rock of their hips, and the slide of his cock within his mate’s walls drove them closer and closer to the peak. His thrusts started to become erratic and Viktor found himself chanting his mate’s name. “Yuuri! Yuuri, Yuuri, my love, solnyshko--”

“Vitya!” Yuuri was the first to reach his peak. Viktor could feel his walls spasm around him and quickly followed, cumming into Yuuri. Shit! He forgot to ask if he should knot Yuuri, what if he hurt him?! Yuuri usually wanted to knot, he actually can’t recall a time that he didn’t, but they did have several rounds of sex last night and into the early morning already. 

As if reading his thoughts, Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hand. “Stay, I want your knot.” 

“Okay,” he breathed and shifted, Yuuri following, so that they laid on their sides to get comfortable. Viktor gave his last few thrusts as he felt his knot begin to swell. Yuuri’s breath hitched once it became big enough to lock them together.

Viktor wrapped his arms around Yuuri, chest pressed against the omega’s back. Yuuri held on to Viktor’s hand and the two settled on the bed. For a few moments only the soft sound of their breathing could be heard, heartbeats slowing as the two calmed down. The sunlight from the window warmed the lovers.

On the other side of the room was a mirror, allowing them to see each other’s faces. Viktor watched, content, at how Yuuri closed his eyes, smiling serenely. He sighed and nuzzled Yuuri’s head. He loved how his scent would be embedded within Yuuri’s whenever they would recently have sex. It’s a balm to any alpha and instinctually meant that his mate held his mark and had his protection. And Viktor loved how he would also carry Yuuri’s scent since it meant that he was Yuuri’s just as much as Yuuri was his. In the afterglow of their lovemaking they were entwined in all senses of the word: physically--hand in hand, arms embraced, knot holding them in place with legs entangled under the sheets. And Viktor also firmly believed that their souls were entwined as well.

There was a flash of an image in his head, of a crimson cord that connected him to Yuuri. Now where in the world did that come from? But yes, it is fitting actually. There would be a cord that would connect his soul to Yuuri’s so that they will never part.

Their eyes met in the mirror. “I love you Vitya.” In the end it was Yuuri who broke the silence. Warmth filled Viktor’s chest with those four simple words. And it should be silly, right? This was far from being the first time that Yuuri said those words but it just _never_ got old. There was another kind of rush that Viktor felt now, a sort of giddiness, a sense of peace, and comfort of being _home_ of being together with his soulmate _._

“I love you too, Yuuri.” Viktor gushed. “God, I love you _so much.”_ He held the omega in his arms tighter and Yuuri drew his knees to his chest to curl himself further into Viktor’s embrace. 

“I feel it too,” Yuuri said, absentmindedly touching the ring on Viktor’s finger. 

“You do?” Once again, they were in sync. 

“Yes, that warmth right? Like the happiest feeling in the world?” 

“Yes.” 

Yuuri closed his eyes and smiled softly. “I felt that way too when we first met. Maybe it wasn’t as strong back then but I can tell now that it was the same thing.” 

Viktor blinked and looked into Yuuri’s eyes reflected in the mirror. They were sparkling with nostalgia at the memory. 

“I was so nervous on my first day, but felt better when I saw you. I remember one time when we were still kids...Mari asked me why you’re special to me. She was trying to understand why I kept saying you were my mate. Back then, I told her that you made me feel light, like the feeling you get when you’re really happy.” His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “Oh God…”

His mate’s laughter was infectious and Viktor found himself huffing out a laugh. “What is it? What’s so funny?” He watched in the mirror as Yuuri closed his eyes in mirth before opening again. 

“It’s just… back then I compared it to the kind of happy feeling you get like when someone gives you the toy you really wanted for Christmas.”

“Aww Yuuri~!” Viktor’s smile grew heart-shaped as he bent over to pepper kisses on Yuuri’s cheek. “My mate is absolutely adorable!” They beamed at each other through the mirror.

“The things we said and did when we were kids… Looking back, I can see how we drove our families crazy.”

“Your poor Deda-” / “My poor Deda-” They said in unison, and that prompted another round of laughter. 

“We’re very lucky, aren’t we?” Yuuri murmured. Viktor closed his eyes and nodded.

“Yeah… yeah, we really are.” And he knew without Yuuri specifying what he meant. They were lucky to have met each other so young, lucky to have such great friends and family who supported them when things got difficult, and lucky to have grown together as their love for each other likewise matured into what is now. Viktor thanked every God, every higher being… whoever or whatever it was out there that allowed him to have his Yuuri.

“I’m really happy that I get to live the rest of my life with you, Vitya.” Their eyes met again in the mirror once more. Yuuri took Viktor’s hands in his own and placed a kiss on his finger.

Viktor smiled back. “Me too. Thank you for everything Yuuri.” And once again he recalled the image of that crimson cord, interspersed with golden and pearlescent threads. “You know… I like to think that there’s this cord that connects us to each other. You know like the ones that Ms. Hima used to talk about?” 

Yuuri nodded. “I remember her saying that it connects soulmates together. She said that ours was one of the thickest cords she ever saw.”

“All the stronger so we will never be apart from each other.”

Yuuri smiled. “I like the thought of that, meeting you in another life.”  
This time it was Viktor who brought their clasped hands back to place a kiss on the ring adorning Yuuri’s hand. The same one that once hung from a necklace on Yuuri’s neck as children. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we’ll always be together for all our lives.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally intended to be a lighthearted, cracky type of explicit fic like Blocked on Multiple Fronts but Yuuri and Viktor wanted warm fuzzy feelings and my muse was happy to comply ^^ 
> 
> In the end, it's better this way really. All the love for the holiday season! I hope all of you have a wonderful holidays and great year ahead! Happy Birthday Vitya and I hope you liked your gift BlueRoseCat!

**Author's Note:**

> This drabble series will go up and down the Entwined Series timeline, because you know me, I just love writing these kids in different ages ^^


End file.
